Apple files second trade complaint against HTC

SAN FRANCISCO, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Apple Inc. has filed a second patent-infringement complaint against HTC Corp. at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), according to a noticed posted on the ITC website on Monday.

The complaint, which was currently unavailable for viewing, was filed last Friday against the smartphone manufacturer regarding " certain portable electronic devices and related software."

The latest complaint is Apple's second ITC complaint against HTC. The first one was filed last March over ten patents. In addition to complaints with the ITC, Apple also filed two lawsuits against HTC last year.

Foss Patents, a leading blog covering software patent news, said Apple made the second try possible because the Cupertino, California-based company is skeptical of the outcome of the ongoing ITC investigation. In April, some ITC staff on behalf of the public as a third party in the Apple-HTC case said HTC should not be found liable of infringing Apple's asserted patents.

Apple has been going after manufacturers of mobile devices running Google's Android operating system. The legal battle between Apple and Samsung has been escalating in at least four countries since April. In the complaints submitted to the ITC, Apple seeks to halt sales and block imports of Samsung's Galaxy S mobile phone and Galaxy Tab tablet computer.